On the recordJanuary 25, 2011
So if I might explain, if there is something critical to my State, the talking filibuster enables me to find a couple of other Senators who share my views. Perhaps they have similar issues in their States. For example, the citizens of Oregon don't want oil companies drilling off our coast. We have a tremendous business in salmon, in ground fish, rock fish. We have a river economy that depends on the migration of salmon upstream. We have a crab industry. We have a tourist industry, the most spectacular coastline anywhere in the world, the coast of Oregon. The last thing we want is an accident that puts oil all over our beaches and destroys multiple aspects of our economy. So if there was a bill on the floor that said we are going to drill for oil off the coast of Oregon, and if I believed that was a huge mistake, then I could organize with other Senators and be here day and night to block that misguided legislation. In that sense we are not changing the number. It still takes 60 Members to close debate. We protect the voice of the minority. We say two Members could continue a debate day and night. For that matter, one could, but eventually one is going to collapse on the floor like Jimmy Stewart did.
